Goa’s over-charging taxis may be a thing of the past soon

Panaji, July 28 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday said all issues related to over-charging by taxi drivers in the tourism-oriented state would be resolved by September 30.

Parrikar said this during a discussion on a Private Members’ Bill, moved by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nilesh Cabral, which demanded that all tourist taxis in the state should have fare meters.

“I will meet all stakeholders involved, including ruling and opposition MLAs, on September 1 and we will resolve this issue by September 30. This is my word. The issue is critical for tourism in Goa,” Parrikar said.

Earlier, Cabral had said that Goa’s reputation as a tourism destination was being tarnished by a section of the taxi drivers’ lobby, which regularly over-charged and harassed tourists.

A section of Goa’s 7,000-odd tourist taxi drivers has often been accused of over-charging, intimidating and operating in an unregulated environment.

Several attempts by the state government to install and implement a fare-meter system have failed, even as members of the taxi lobby have also attacked tour coach buses ferrying foreign tourists, accusing tour operators of depriving them of business.

The state attracted nearly seven million people in the 2016-17 tourism season, according to documents tabled in the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislative assembly.